Loaves but no Fishes
-
One of the biggest expenses for me each weekend is feeding the hungry
little blighters. Maybe if I'd had four girls it would be simpler because
they'd all ...
14 years ago
Posts
Saturday, 31 January 2009
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Electric Soul - A Random Story
"I detect subtle undertones in that comment", she said.
That's probably true.
By now I was fed up with the way the conversation was going it was time to change tack.
"Have you ever wondered about electricity?" I said, totally ignoring everything she had just said.
"You're doing it again!"
Her frustration was apparent. I savoured it.
"But seriously. I think electricity is evil." I carried on.
"This is important!" Ah! A test of wills! Who would crack first?
"Has electricity ever brought anything good into the world?"
"You know we need to resolve this!"
Her eyes were ablaze. Her brow furrowed.
Damn Sexy!
"What if electricity was really demons?"
She stopped. Staring at me. I'd got her.
I used the pause to gain an advantage.
"Or dead souls."
Her protracted blank look gave me all the encouragement i needed. I was in control of this conversation now.
"Think about it. What is it that controls us? Our Brain."
"Not in your case." She retorted.
A reflex comment. Nothing more. I could tell I was distracting her from the case in hand. She was a sucker for the absurd. I guess that's why she liked me!
Ignoring her comment I proceeded.
"What has science revealed to be the essential activity of our brain? Electrical impulses."
"Your impulses are more physical than ethereal." she countered.
I couldn't disagree so I continued headlong down this strange path.
"What is one of the measures of death? A lack of electrical activity in the brain."
"Maybe if I stick a battery up your arse you'll be cured."
Oh dear. My impact was weakening. She was recovering strength I had to come up with something before she could wrest control away again.
"Anyway, where does all that electrical energy go once you die? You can try and stimulate the brain with conducted electrical energy but it doesn't bring life back to a dead body does it?"
"I wouldn't put it past you to be stimulated by a dead body."
"So our brains are powered by a special kind of electrical energy. Lets call it a soul."
"Let's not. Lets call it avoiding the issue."
Rats! I was losing her. I'm sure I could detect a faint smile across her lips though, but her eyes were regaining their intensity.
"Just go with me here for a minute."
"That long? I'm sure you could go the distance twice in that time."
Hah! She was enjoying this! The banter was getting to her. Maybe I still had a chance to turn things around.
"So what happens to this soul? Maybe in death the body is no longer capable of holding or containing this energy and it is released but it doesn't disappear."
"There have been moments when I've thought about releasing you and wishing you'd disappear. Why am i even listening to your BS?"
"Maybe this is what's floating around out there? Maybe in the last 150 or so years we've been trying to harness the souls of the dead. Maybe science and magic aren't as disconnected as we thought?"
"I'm getting a little tired of this now. You're actually starting to spook me."
"It is spooky though. Maybe the dead are getting their revenge on us by enslaving us to the machines we thought were freeing us? How do we know the sounds we hear on the radio or the images we see on the tv screen really are being broadcast. How de we know that its really microsoft that screws with our PC's or that the streetlamp which went out just as you passed that mugger wasn't intentional?"
"Right! Thats it! Enough! Just what exactly has this got to do with all these porn channels appearing on our TV subscription?"
"That's what I'm trying to explain. It wasn't me..."
That's probably true.
By now I was fed up with the way the conversation was going it was time to change tack.
"Have you ever wondered about electricity?" I said, totally ignoring everything she had just said.
"You're doing it again!"
Her frustration was apparent. I savoured it.
"But seriously. I think electricity is evil." I carried on.
"This is important!" Ah! A test of wills! Who would crack first?
"Has electricity ever brought anything good into the world?"
"You know we need to resolve this!"
Her eyes were ablaze. Her brow furrowed.
Damn Sexy!
"What if electricity was really demons?"
She stopped. Staring at me. I'd got her.
I used the pause to gain an advantage.
"Or dead souls."
Her protracted blank look gave me all the encouragement i needed. I was in control of this conversation now.
"Think about it. What is it that controls us? Our Brain."
"Not in your case." She retorted.
A reflex comment. Nothing more. I could tell I was distracting her from the case in hand. She was a sucker for the absurd. I guess that's why she liked me!
Ignoring her comment I proceeded.
"What has science revealed to be the essential activity of our brain? Electrical impulses."
"Your impulses are more physical than ethereal." she countered.
I couldn't disagree so I continued headlong down this strange path.
"What is one of the measures of death? A lack of electrical activity in the brain."
"Maybe if I stick a battery up your arse you'll be cured."
Oh dear. My impact was weakening. She was recovering strength I had to come up with something before she could wrest control away again.
"Anyway, where does all that electrical energy go once you die? You can try and stimulate the brain with conducted electrical energy but it doesn't bring life back to a dead body does it?"
"I wouldn't put it past you to be stimulated by a dead body."
"So our brains are powered by a special kind of electrical energy. Lets call it a soul."
"Let's not. Lets call it avoiding the issue."
Rats! I was losing her. I'm sure I could detect a faint smile across her lips though, but her eyes were regaining their intensity.
"Just go with me here for a minute."
"That long? I'm sure you could go the distance twice in that time."
Hah! She was enjoying this! The banter was getting to her. Maybe I still had a chance to turn things around.
"So what happens to this soul? Maybe in death the body is no longer capable of holding or containing this energy and it is released but it doesn't disappear."
"There have been moments when I've thought about releasing you and wishing you'd disappear. Why am i even listening to your BS?"
"Maybe this is what's floating around out there? Maybe in the last 150 or so years we've been trying to harness the souls of the dead. Maybe science and magic aren't as disconnected as we thought?"
"I'm getting a little tired of this now. You're actually starting to spook me."
"It is spooky though. Maybe the dead are getting their revenge on us by enslaving us to the machines we thought were freeing us? How do we know the sounds we hear on the radio or the images we see on the tv screen really are being broadcast. How de we know that its really microsoft that screws with our PC's or that the streetlamp which went out just as you passed that mugger wasn't intentional?"
"Right! Thats it! Enough! Just what exactly has this got to do with all these porn channels appearing on our TV subscription?"
"That's what I'm trying to explain. It wasn't me..."
Monday, 19 January 2009
TV Meview 19.1.2009
Okay, Sunday nights. They are soon to be changing.
The only thing we really watched last night was Lark Rise to Candleford.
Yes, that's right. It's a costume drama not sci-fi!
Well, actually last night's episode was kind of about the future.
The theme for this series so far, whose return since the Christmas special has been most welcome, has been about change and the future.
This is no greetings card snapshot, its a drama about a community that's adapting to the world around them.
The postman finally rides the village bicycle for the first time, an atheist comes to the village and big business seeks to ride roughshod over the villagers interests. Oh and a woman proposes marriage.
Not your typical Victorian drama. Which is probably why I like it.
The traditional values of the time are prevalent throughout the village but not above being challenged and adapted in the face of common sense.
The cast is also a big factor as they are not what you'd expect for a drama of this type. Julia Sawalha, Mark Heap, Olivia Hallinan and Dawn French. Knowing them all from various other edgier comedies and dramas it's an interesting mix from actors I trust to take on quality roles.
Since the start of this series the village has been thrown into a tizz as respectable and wealthy newcomer James Dowlands (Jason Merrells) reveals he was originally a pauper boy from the lowly regarded Lark Rise. He's come back and settled in Candleford, the upmarket village, as a man of means and he means to bring his big city ways to change Candleford forever and make a bit of money too.
This gives rise to a lot of interesting plots to do with the rise of women's rights, the decline of the Christian way of life, social mobility, the class war and more. Maybe I've just never been able to see previous costume dramas for what they were but this one really does connect with me and engage me.
In this epsiode the aftermath following the death of the local parish priest causes a big kerfuffle. His daughter and estranged son come to blows after the funeral. Why? Because he was an atheist and apparently that was a shameful thing in those days, but even more so for a priests son. The issue of how to treat someone with different beliefs is raised from various perspectives. It's not too heavy handed and most people end up showing a tolerant attitude which kind of displays the fact that most people were probably Christians in that period because other people were, not because they necessarily believed in it all.
It's an entertaining hour spent laughing and sympathising and being concerned for the characters.
Hopefully, from next week, this won't clash with Lost once it starts as that would be tough, but thank goodness for iPlayer.
----------------
Now playing: Jeannie C. Riley - Harper Valley PTA
via FoxyTunes
The only thing we really watched last night was Lark Rise to Candleford.
Yes, that's right. It's a costume drama not sci-fi!
Well, actually last night's episode was kind of about the future.
The theme for this series so far, whose return since the Christmas special has been most welcome, has been about change and the future.
This is no greetings card snapshot, its a drama about a community that's adapting to the world around them.
The postman finally rides the village bicycle for the first time, an atheist comes to the village and big business seeks to ride roughshod over the villagers interests. Oh and a woman proposes marriage.
Not your typical Victorian drama. Which is probably why I like it.
The traditional values of the time are prevalent throughout the village but not above being challenged and adapted in the face of common sense.
The cast is also a big factor as they are not what you'd expect for a drama of this type. Julia Sawalha, Mark Heap, Olivia Hallinan and Dawn French. Knowing them all from various other edgier comedies and dramas it's an interesting mix from actors I trust to take on quality roles.
Since the start of this series the village has been thrown into a tizz as respectable and wealthy newcomer James Dowlands (Jason Merrells) reveals he was originally a pauper boy from the lowly regarded Lark Rise. He's come back and settled in Candleford, the upmarket village, as a man of means and he means to bring his big city ways to change Candleford forever and make a bit of money too.
This gives rise to a lot of interesting plots to do with the rise of women's rights, the decline of the Christian way of life, social mobility, the class war and more. Maybe I've just never been able to see previous costume dramas for what they were but this one really does connect with me and engage me.
In this epsiode the aftermath following the death of the local parish priest causes a big kerfuffle. His daughter and estranged son come to blows after the funeral. Why? Because he was an atheist and apparently that was a shameful thing in those days, but even more so for a priests son. The issue of how to treat someone with different beliefs is raised from various perspectives. It's not too heavy handed and most people end up showing a tolerant attitude which kind of displays the fact that most people were probably Christians in that period because other people were, not because they necessarily believed in it all.
It's an entertaining hour spent laughing and sympathising and being concerned for the characters.
Hopefully, from next week, this won't clash with Lost once it starts as that would be tough, but thank goodness for iPlayer.
----------------
Now playing: Jeannie C. Riley - Harper Valley PTA
via FoxyTunes
Make a movie time!
This site is so cool!
I discovered it a while back, obviously meaning to come back to it and today I did and I remembered why I'd bookmarked it.
I can imagine I'll be using it a fair bit as will my kids.
This movie was only a quick test, but you can add more scenes to make more of a thing of it.
Maybe I'll create a few more if I can think of a reason why!
TV on the Radio - Dancing Choose
I've not long discovered TV on the Radio but their latest album, 'Dear Science', is my most wanted album of the moment.
I heard 'Golden Age' first and its quirky but very listenable style got me quite excitable. I love this kind of music.
'Dancing Choose' is the latest single and videos can sometimes make or break a song for me if its particularly bad. Thankfully though the videos for these songs are just as engaging as the songs.
They can even do it all live!
My new favourite song!
Sunday, 18 January 2009
More cartoons on the way!
I've just uploaded a whole bunch of my autobiographical snippets which are scheduled to appear every Sunday all the way up till May!
I should now have plenty of time to focus on getting ahead with my short stories and other projects in the meantime.
If you would like to be notified by email when they go up don't forget to send me your address and I'll add you to the notification list.
----------------
Now playing: The Swinging Blue Jeans - Hippy Hippy Shake
via FoxyTunes
I should now have plenty of time to focus on getting ahead with my short stories and other projects in the meantime.
If you would like to be notified by email when they go up don't forget to send me your address and I'll add you to the notification list.
----------------
Now playing: The Swinging Blue Jeans - Hippy Hippy Shake
via FoxyTunes
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